SAT 17 - WED 20 MAY | Ride for Country Kids

Saturday 17 - Wednesday 20 May

Royal Far West is a specialist child development service providing vital supports to improve the health and wellbeing of children up to the age of 12 in rural and remote areas. Each year, RFW leads a ride starting in Parkes and travelling through Molong, Manildra, Trundle, Eugowra and Forbes – towns where they have strong partnerships and a long history of supporting children and families.

The event aims to raise $500,000 to fund vital developmental and mental health services for country children and their families.

Western and Far West NSW are regions where RFW works more deeply than anywhere else. In FY25, they supported 453 children, 302 parents and carers and 496 educators across 29 primary schools and 5 early childhood centres – delivering services including speech pathology, occupational therapy, psychology and social work.

“Children in rural areas are twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable. By riding through these communities, we're not only raising funds, we're raising awareness of the urgent need for early support,” said Jacqui Emery, CEO of RFW.

Natural disasters like floods also pose a serious risk to children’s mental health and wellbeing, compounding existing challenges. Following the devastating Central West floods in 2022, RFW continues to deliver targeted psycho-social support to children, families and educators in Forbes, Eugowra and Molong. These comprehensive supports help communities recover and build long-term resilience through locally informed and culturally appropriate care.

“The Ride will be a celebration of what’s possible when communities come together. We’ll go beyond for country kids, making sure that distance never gets in the way of receiving the support they need to thrive.”

Now in its twelfth year, the Ride has raised over $4.5 million to support country children with developmental, behavioural and mental health needs. For next year’s Ride, RFW invites cyclists of all levels to join in.

Register or learn more here: www.rideforcountrykids.com.au